Genius Biotherapeutics

Genius Biotherapeutics (Pty) Ltd is South Africa’s leading biopharmaceutical manufacturing company, headquartered in Cape Town with manufacturing and quality control facilities located in both Gauteng and the Western Cape.

Formerly known as Bioclones and founded in 1982, the company has emerged as South Africa’s most advanced biotechnology company and has established a platform for global growth within the biopharmaceutical industry.  Genius Biotherapeutics differentiates itself from other large South African pharmaceutical companies through the company’s capacity to manufacture Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) and its focus on domestic based research and development of advanced Biotherapeutics and vaccines.

Genius Biotherapeutics has 22 worldwide patents which attract significant value in addition to the intellectual property in a product portfolio that currently enjoys global revenues of US$12 billion. Genius Biotherapeutics has made significant strides in the international scientific biotechnology community with three of its products being rated in the top ten by a prominent international publication.

Genius Biotherapeutics manufactures and markets recombinant human erythropoietin in South Africa, the world’s largest biotechnology product based on sales value (US$ 12,4 billion). To date Genius Biotherapeutics is the sole South African company that provides Erythropoietin (Repotin) to the South African state health department.

Genius Biotherapeutics has a strong pipeline of patent-protected technologies focused principally on the enhancement of cellular immune response in humans. Chronic viral diseases, such as HIV, HBV and HCV are the result of failure of cellular immune response. The same applies to spreading cancers and infectious diseases such as tuberculosis: a better understanding and rational manipulation of the cellular immune response will result in improved therapies for the control of these conditions.

Sekunjalo, through African Biotechnological and Medical Innovation Investments (Pty) Ltd (“ABMI”), owns 49% of Genius Biotherapeutics (Pty) Ltd.

Genius Biotherapeutics is focused on three main areas:

• GLOBAL PATENTS
  Genius Biotherapeutics has 22 global patents in the areas of novel technologies, infectious disease and cancer treatment molecules.

• BIOGENERICS
  It has a Biogeneric Molecule division with Repotin® (Erythropoetin) and Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor (“GCS-F”) hormone as its core biogenerics. Repotin® which competes in an ‘EPO’ global market of about US$12 billion per annum, is manufactured in Pretoria at a world- class cell culture facility which has recently expanded its facility for increased production.  The GCS-F facility is currently being upgraded for world-class production to global standards by 2012 and to allow Genius Biotherapeutics to compete in a market of US$5 billion per annum.

• NOVEL COMPOUNDS
  Genius Biotherapeutics has novel compounds and research and development in Dendritic Cell Vaccines and Retroinverso Peptides are continuing in conjunction with South Africa’s leading universities. Genius Biotherapeutics prides itself on its world-class employees and collaboration with South Africa’s leading universities which allows it to be at the forefront of global biotechnology research.